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Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Montana Faces Marriage Equality Suit

It's becoming difficult to stay on top of all this!...

Four gay couples announced Wednesday they are suing Montana over its
constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, making North Dakota and South
Dakota the only two states with similar bans and no lawsuits seeking to
overturn them.

The Montana suit was being filed in federal court in Great Falls. It
lists as plaintiffs four Montana couples who are either unmarried or who
were married outside the state.

The lawsuit alleges the ban denies same-sex couples the freedom and
dignity afforded to other Montanans, and denies them the state and
federal legal protections and benefits that come with marriage.

"We want Aden to grow up knowing that we are a family like any other
family," plaintiff Shauna Goubeaux said in a statement of her and wife
Nicole's 1-year-old son. "Marriage is part of being a family. By being
plaintiffs in this case, we are showing him his mommies will stand up
for what is right and stand up for him."

In addition to Shauna and Nicole Goubeaux, the plaintiffs are Angie and
Tonya Rolando; Ben Milano and Chase Weinhandl; and Sue Hawthorne and
Adel Johnson.

Gov. Steve Bullock released a statement in support of the couples.

"Montanans cherish our freedom and recognize the individual dignity of
every one of us," he said. "The time has come for our state to recognize
and celebrate - not discriminate against - two people who love one
another, are committed to each other, and want to spend their lives
together."